You see them all over the place: hanging off of handbags, jackets, and the tops of smoking slippers. The tassel has almost always been a symbol of power and prestige. The word for “tassel” originated from “tassellus” which, translated from Latin, refers to a clasp at the neck of a garment. In the beginning, tassels served as a weaving knot in garments to prevent unraveling. Then, over the course of time, they took on a more powerful significance: They were worn by ancient priests and military officers as talismans that warded off evil spirits. We can thank the French for turning the tassel into a trendsetter. Around the 16th century, the Guild of the Passementiers established the art of “passementerie.” It took seven years of apprenticeship to be trained in this craft, and a single tassel would cost the equivalent of thousands of dollars to commission, not to mention weeks of labor and valuable materials.

Here a gallery of my last creations with luxury cotton tassels and gold wire.